All According to Plan
by Amarock Wolf
Summary: Tory planned it all out, down to the minute. Colin is coming over at five to have a nice Thanksgiving dinner with him and his mom. Little does Tory know that all of his tedious planning will be for naught when Colin shows up five hours early. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter One: The Walk

Hey guys. It's me again. This is an OffBeat fic, of which I am having a blast writing. I love Offbeat and I can't WAIT until the third book comes out. Anyhoo.

This takes place AFTER the second book. It also takes place around Thanksgiving.

Thanks so much for the read! PLEASE review. hugs you

Disclaimer: Je ne possède pas les OffBeat caractères. Je souhaite. (To all those who speak french much better than I: I'm sorry if I butchered that. I tried. :P)

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Chapter One: The Walk

The red head sighed softly as he exited his final class of the day.

I can't believe it's only Wednesday, Tory thought bitterly. Why is it that teachers always assign projects the day before Thanksgiving break?

He shoved his cool hands into his pants pockets and rounded the corner, heading for the front exit, the last of the students rushing past him.

Let's see, so I have a project in English and civics. Even a project in physics class, he thought with a grimace.

A light blush crept into Tory's freckled cheeks as he thought of his friend.

I wonder if Colin will need any help with the physics project? Maybe I'll ask hi—

"Hey Tory," said a cool, silky voice. Tory's blush deepened, recognizing the voice immediately, as a feather light hand rested on his shoulder.

"Oh, Colin! Hey." He turned to face the raven-haired boy, letting Colin's hand slip off his shoulder. Colin gave him a small, unabashed smile. They continued walking down the clean, white hallway of the school and exited through the double doors.

The afternoon air was stale and damp from the previous night's snow shower, which had melted all too quickly.

Figures, Tory thought dryly, the snow melts, but the forty degree weather stays.

"I was wondering if we could do some of the physics project together?" Colin said blatantly after a few moments. Tory blinked and blushed slightly.

"Heh, yeah," he paused before adding, "Actually, _I_ was going to ask _you_." Tory laughed nervously, before he fixed his eyes on the bare trees of the approaching park, feeling Colin's gaze upon him.

Tory gulped, wondering what his friend was thinking. Wanting to break the silence, he blurted the first question that came to his mind.

"So, what are you doing for Thanksgiving?" Seeing Colin turn his attention to the passing gift shop, Tory relaxed again, letting out the breath he was apparently holding.

He inwardly hoped it wasn't a touchy subject for Colin.

"Nothing," Colin said calmly, as if it were a perfectly adequate answer. Tory's mouth dropped open.

"What do you mean 'nothing'? You must be doing _something_?"

"Dr. Garrets doesn't celebrate holidays. Not Thanksgiving, not Christmas," Colin shrugged, "But it's no big deal. I've never really liked Thanksgiving anyway." Tory watched the small puffs of smoke dance in front of Colin's face as he finished the last of his explanation.

"Why not?" Tory asked impulsively, immediately knowing that he was prying too deep.

Colin shrugged slightly, his usual frown masking his face.

Inwardly sighing, Tory glanced up and stared at the clouds through half-lidded eyes. The thick, flawless blanket of gray made the world seem colorless and oddly still.

A shiver unexpectedly shook his frame, his teeth chattering for half a moment.

Ah shit, why did I only wear a long sleeve shirt today? Couldn't I have at _least_ grabbed the hoodie mom offered me this morning? Tory thought through gritted teeth. What in the heck was I thinking?

He glanced at Colin out of the corner of his eye and breathed a soft sigh of relief, a puff of vapor appearing and disappearing; He didn't seem to notice the shudder.

Surprised, Tory's body jolted slightly and his breath caught in his throat at the sensation of warm fingertips tracing his left palm. His heart was beating so fast, he was sure he'd go into cardiac arrest.

Flushed and slightly disoriented, Tory's eyes flickered up to meet Colin's.

Colin had what seemed like a playful smile dancing across his wanton face.

"Are you cold?" he murmured, his breath whirling in the still air.

Tory stuttered, a deep blush adorning his cheeks.

Suddenly, Colin's features hardened and he withdrew his hand. He stopped walking and looked at the corner of the block that they stood at.

Confused and upset, Tory began to ask what was wrong only to be silenced by the stern gesture of Colin's hand.

He turned and faced Tory, scowling slightly.

"I forgot about Dr. Garrets."

"Huh?" Tory cocked his head. Colin ran an annoyed hand through his midnight locks.

"He was supposed to pick me up right after school," He paused and glanced at Tory with softening eyes, "But I guess I got distracted and forgot."

Tory felt terrible. Was Colin going to get in trouble because of him?

Suddenly, a black car pulled around the corner of the block and pulled over by the curb.

Colin's eyes locked with Tory's.

"Call me, okay?" And without waiting for a response, he got into the car.

--

Hope you all enjoyed! More coming very soon. Please give me a reason to finish this fic (and make my day) and review. Thanks everyone!


	2. Chapter Two: The Call

Here's chapter two. Sorry for the shortness—the next one will be longer, I assure you. ;3

And wonder1440 recently made a point that I said that my fic takes place after book two, but that it ends in December.. and yet my fic takes place in November. To say that I want this fic to take place a whole year later would be a flat out lie. I don't want that at all.

What I meant by the "my fic takes place after book two" was because I make references to events that happen in book two and I don't want to spoil it for people who've only read book one. (Not that there are any real spoilers though; It's only a few quick references.) So thanks wonder1440 and I hope I've cleared up any confusion my poor planning might have caused. X3;

Anyhoo. So read on, dear audience, and enjoy. :heart:

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Chapter Two: The Call

-

Tory paced around him room, occasionally stopping to stare resentfully at the phone innocently lying on his bed.

_Call me, okay?_

Call him. Just call him. You know his number. You memorized it weeks ago, he told himself. Just do it. You know what you want to say.

Why is this such a big deal? He thought, frowning slightly.

Tory walked over to his bedside and picked up the phone.

Taking a deep breath, he dialed the familiar set of numbers.

Ring.

Ring.

Ri—

"Hello?"

"H-hey, Colin." Tory silently berated himself for stuttering, feeling his face grow hot.

"Oh hey Tory." He gulped and pulled himself together.

"I know you don't like Thanksgiving and all, but since you're not doing anything, I was wondering if you'd still want to come over and eat dinner with me and my mom tomorrow? She makes really good turkey, and everyone always tells my mom how—"

"I'd like that," Colin said, gently cutting Tory off from his rant.

An involuntary grin broke put across Tory's face and he felt as if he were going to explode with excitement.

"Did you want to work on the physics project?" Colin inquired, a dull edge in his voice at the mention of the tedious project.

"Nah, not on Thanksgiving. We can do that some other time."

After a few more minutes of careful planning, Tory finally hung up with Colin.

He was to come over at four tomorrow evening. He could hardly contain himself.

He glanced at the glowing red numbers on his nightstand and smiled.

Only nineteen more hours and thirty more minutes before he is going to be stepping into my house, Tory thought feeling strangely happy. Okay so what do I have to do to prepare?

He scanned his room wearily.

Okay, he thought, I definitely have to clean.

His eyes fell upon his pile of journals. His bustling train of thought paused and his eyes dimmed as he thought of his friend.

..And I suppose I should hide my journals. Not that he doesn't already know my secret, but even still. They're not _all_ about him, he thought wryly.

He wandered over to the unruly boxes containing his journals and stuffed them back into his closet, making sure to leave his current journal on his computer desk in case something worth recording happened.

"Tory??" came the muffled call of Mary's voice from the kitchen.

He opened his door and stuck his head out.

"What mom?"

"Paul just swung by and asked if he could eat with us tomorrow. I told him that was fine," Tory blanched, "but now I don't seem to have enough to go around! Will you be a dear and run to the store for me?"

Shit! I didn't tell mom that Colin is coming over tomorrow. Oh my god, I'm an idiot! How could I have forgotten?!

He smacked himself on the forehead and bounded down the hall.

Rounding the corner, he stood in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Mom? Is it okay if Colin comes over tomorrow too? I already made plans with him." His heart was pounding.

She looked at Tory, concern etched into her features.

"I'm not sure if I'll have enough money to buy that much more food, Tory," she said, examining the bags of food on the counter before her. Tory's mouth dropped and emotions raged within him.

"But we can afford enough to feed _Paul?_ He can eat at his own house! Come on mom, please?" He felt himself growing desperate. She looked at him and smiled half-heartedly.

"Check my purse. If I have at least thirty dollars then that should be enough to buy what I need, and he is welcome to join us."

"Thanks mom!" He jogged to her purse, which was hanging in its usual place: on the hook by the door.

Anxiously opening the small black wallet, he rampaged through it.

Upon finding the money compartment, his heart sank.

Only one ten.

What do I do now..? he thought, as disappointment and grief pooled in his stomach.

Wait. Wait, he thought to himself as he drove his hand into his pocket, pulling out a crumpled ten dollar bill.

Crud, only twenty, he thought, pausing to consider his options. I guess I'll just dip into my savings to cover the rest.

"Is there enough, honey?" Hearing her padding towards the living room, he shoved the two tens into his pocket and hung her purse on the hook.

"Yeah, there was enough," he said, smiling. She beamed at him.

"Oh good! I was worried I wouldn't have enough. I would hate to turn away the opportunity of learning more about Colin."

Yeah, me too, Tory thought lightheartedly.

Mary walked over to him and gave him a crude grocery list written on a piece of scrap paper.

"Okay thanks. I just need to go shut my computer off first."

"Okay sweetie," Mary said as she walked back into the kitchen.

Dashing to his room, he glanced at the dormant computer, before grabbing a twenty from his sock drawer.

And with that, Tory left for the store.

Tory hurriedly bought the items on the list at the Stop & Shop down the street and exited the store.

By now, darkness was beginning to blanket the city in sharp blues and greys.

I can't believe how much those groceries cost! Tory thought with a twitch as he zipped up his jacket.

He'd spend $36.10 on the food, thereby sucking up twenty-six dollars of his own. But honestly, Tory couldn't have cared less. He would have spent all his money without a second thought if it meant an evening with Colin.

Tory frowned slightly.

But why? He asked himself. I'm just researching the Gaia Project, right?

His heart clenched at this thought. Right..?

Tory's grip on the plastic bags tightened.

Why _do_ I want to see him so badly?

Could I really…?

--

That's it for now! X3 Please review :D


	3. Chapter Three: The Arrival

I just want to take a moment to thank all of the people who have reviewed my story so far, and even the people who just took the time to read it. As long as someone out there enjoys my work, I can go on with a smile. :)

On with the story!

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Chapter Three: The Arrival

At precisely 9:13 am, Tory woke up, feeling refreshed, if not a little jittery.

Colin was going to be ringing his doorbell in approximately eight hours and forty minutes just to have dinner with him.

Just to see him.

Tory was filled with a fleeting bliss.

After a moment, he rolled out of bed and stretched.

All right, he thought, hard determination flickering in his eyes, Time to get cracking.

Upon getting dressed after his fifteen-minute shower, he began to clean his room.

First and foremost, he had to get his dirty laundry off the floor. Easy enough.

Gathering his clothes as a squirrel gathers acorns, he dumped them into his white plastic hamper.

Done.

Continuing like this, Tory managed make his bed, vacuum his carpet and throw away the last of the soda-leaden paper cups strewn about his room in less than forty-five minutes.

Perfect.

By now, the sounds of banging pans and running faucets could be heard emanating from the kitchen where his mom was busily preparing the Thanksgiving feast.

It was 10.20am.

Tory grabbed a pen and the notebook of his computer desk and plopped onto his bed.

Flipping to the first blank page he came across, he began to plan his evening with Colin.

Okay, he thought as he wrote "Evening Events – 11-23-06" atop the page.

_5.00pm – Colin arrives_

_About 5.15pm – We eat dinner_

How long will that take, he wondered. With dessert, I'd imagine it'd take about an hour and a half.

About 6.45pm to 7.00pm – Dinner is finished and we go into the living room 

Staring down at the page blankly, he touched the pen tip to the paper before lifting it again.

What then?

Maybe a movie? Hopefully Paul will leave by then. If not, and depending on how obnoxious Paul ends up being, I guess we can either deal with him and just watch the movie or go for a walk. Hmm.. I wonder what movie genre Colin likes?

Tory smiled affectionately at the thought.

_7.15pm – Pick out a movie and watch_

_Alternate 7.15pm – Go for a walk. To the park? _

"Tory!" He jumped and blinked once.

"What mom?" he shouted without getting up.

Through his shut door, he could hardly hear her.

"Ca—come out—ere –hel?" Tory grimaced and forced himself up, setting aside the open notebook and pen.

He jogged to the door.

"What mom? I couldn't here you." She poked her head out from around the corner.

"Can you come and help me with some of this?" She smiled gratefully without waiting for his response and retreated back into the kitchen.

Smiling inwardly, he went into the kitchen to help prepare the turkey and stuffing with his mom.

Two and a half hours later, Tory was heaving the gorged turkey into the oven while his mom put various bowls of side dishes into the fridge.

"Oh, did you take out the pie first honey?" Tory rolled his eyes.

"Of course mom. I'm not that dumb." Mary smiled and chuckled at her son.

"I know sweetie."

Delicious aromas filled the room. The apple pie steaming in front of him being the most prominent. His mouth watered.

Ding-dong! 

They both looked up. Setting the covered bowl of mashed potatoes back onto the counter, she called over her shoulder "What time did you say Colin was coming over?"

"Not for a few hours," He replied as she scurried to the front door.

Grabbing the bowl off the counter, he put it in the fridge.

"Oh! Colin! Hello!" Tory heard his mom exclaim with a cheerful note. He nearly wailed his head on the freezer door handle as he shot up from the fridge. Swinging it shut, he jogged into the next room, his heart beating madly.

He felt inexplicably dizzy.

"Colin!" Colin peered around Mary and a small smile graced his lips. Walking up to him, he saw Colin was only wearing a tee-shirt and jeans.

"Please come in!" Mary ushered the sleek boy inside, shutting the cold air out behind him. "Where in the world is your coat?"

Colin shrugged, "I guess I forgot." Mary huffed, her motherly instincts kicking in. "Well, in any case, please make yourself at home." She smiled kindly and wandered back into the kitchen to store away the last of the food, not seeming to mind the unexpected visit.

Glancing to make sure he wouldn't be heard, Tory looked hard at Colin.

"You forgot? Come on," Tory whispered, concern and curiosity whirling inside him.

Colin examined the paintings on the far wall, his eyes distant.

"Hey, are you okay?" Tory asked gently, daring to rest a hand on his shoulder.

Without shying away, Colin explained.

"Dr. Garrets interrogated me about why I was getting ready to go out, about ten minutes ago. I told him I was coming here for dinner and he got angry." He turned his face away from Torys. "He took the brush out of my hand and threw it at the wall, and proceeded to push everything off the sink and onto the floor. At that point I just left."

Tory let his hand slip off of Colin's shoulder. His heart roared with a strange protective feeling.

How dare he, Tory's mind growled. He wondered momentarily if Colin had to put up with that kind of thing often. Just the thought made Tory's blood boil.

"I know I'm a few hours early," Colin looked into Tory's green eyes, "And I don't have any of my stuff, but I thought maybe we could work on our project down at the library or something to kill the time." He again looked away, his dark eyes brooding. "If you're not busy."

"No, not at all!" Tory smiled reassuringly. "That sounds fine. Let me just go get my textbook, okay?" Colin's eyes seemed to brighten and he nodded. Tory jogged to his room and rummaged around until he found his textbook and his physics folder. He hesitated and looked around for a hoodie.

Damnit! I have no clean ones! He cursed to himself as he looked through his closet.

Spotting his black hoodie draped over the edge of the hamper, he grabbed it.

I only wore this one for a few hours to run to the store last Sunday, he thought as he buried his face in the hoodie and inhaled. Sweet, this'll do fine!

Grinning, Tory made his way back to the living room. Colin was still standing right where he'd left him.

He tossed the hoodie to Colin, who blinked and looked at it in his arms.

"For me?" Colin asked with a small, but tender smirk.

"For you." He responded, blushing slightly.

As Colin slipped it over his head, Tory said half-jokingly "Sorry if it smells. It was the cleanest thing I had!" He chuckled nervously. Colin shook his head, that cute smirk still shining through, as he smoothed out the wrinkles.

"No, it's okay," A pause, "I kind of like the way it smells; It smells kind of like you." Tory's blush deepened as Colin's smoldering eyes bore momentarily into his before glancing towards the kitchen.

"Should you tell your mom we're going?" Tory blinked and pulled his gaze from Colin.

"Yeah, I'll be right back."

Heart pounding in a mad frenzy and cheeks hot, he poked his head into the kitchen. His mom was sitting at the table, reading the newspaper comics. She looked up.

"Colin and I are going to hit the library for a few hours to start our physics project," Tory explained, "We'll be back before five." She smiled and nodded.

"All right, dear."

Walking back into the living room, he couldn't help but smile at the sight of Colin wearing his hoodie. Colin looked at him uneasily, obviously uncomfortable with Tory's intense stare. Mentally slapping himself, Tory snatched up his forest green coat, the textbook, the folder and two pens.

"All right, let's go."

--

And so ends this chapter. Thanks for reading! Please review :D

The next few chapters are going to "pick up", if you know what I mean. ;3

Until then! Ja!


	4. Chapter Four: The Corner

Sorry for the delay. I've been drawing more than writing lately. I'm not sure what it is that's changed, but I seems like the passion I initially poured into the story is sapping away. I guess I wish I were a better writer.

Anyway. Sorry for any OOC-ness in my story. I'm trying.

So here's chapter four!

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Chapter Four: The Corner

As the library came into sight, Tory sighed.

The whole walk over had been virtually silent. They talked a little, but about nothing worth recording. Nothing worth bonding over.

It's not that he particularly minded the silence, because it was very comfortable. Not anxious, nor awkward.

No, what bothered him was that during all this silence, he had time to think.

At first, he thought about the dinner they were to be enjoying in a few hours. This led to him thinking about the upcoming evening and the careful planning which he recorded in his journal. This, inevitably, led to Colin.

Colin…

Why is it that every time he thought about the raven-haired boy, an involuntary smile sprung to his lips? Why is it that he's been concentrating less on the Gaia Project and more on getting to know Colin as a person?

He even stopped recording in his journal. Not only had he stopped collecting important data, but he also had stopped writing every day. Like he'd finally stepped out into the world. Like he's finally living for himself instead of in his journal.

All he knew was that it seemingly happened over night. Like he woke up one day and realized that he wanted to see Colin. He just wanted to be near him. Tory thought nothing of it at the time.

But things have changed. He wasn't sure how, why or even when but he sensed a change in himself. He felt it reverberating from his heart through his entire being.

What _is_ this? Tory thought, fearing he might know.

Testing his theory on himself, he inwardly asked: "Do I really like Colin that way?"

In an almost immediate response, a warm rush shot from his heart and filled every crevice of his body. It was so forceful he felt himself shiver momentarily, goose bumps forming on his arms.

Not believing the involuntary jolt's implications right away, Tory stared hard at the sidewalk in front of him.

Shit, Tory's mind hissed, I think I—

"Tory? Hey, you all right?" Drawing himself back into reality, Tory looked at Colin. Feeling himself blush slightly, he nodded.

Yeah, Tory thought quietly, I do.

Upon entering the large white building, they were greeted by a librarian sitting behind a well-crafted wood desk.

Nodding their hellos, Tory and Colin walked to the center of the open sitting area. Randomly placed wooden tables and comfortable green chairs were strewn about the room. There were about four people sitting in the area.

The two friends looked at each other and Tory shrugged half-heartedly.

"Where'd you want to sit?" Tory whispered, not looking particularly thrilled about the seating arrangement. Colin smirked and gestured for Tory to follow him. Smiling to himself, he followed after Colin who headed down a fiction isle. Turning abruptly Colin led him to a small, hidden corner behind a large wall of non-fiction books.

"How's this?" Colin asked, an amused twinkle flickering in his eyes.

"Just fine," Tory said, with a smooth chuckle.

They proceeded to arrange themselves on the course blue carpeting in their new corner. It was only slightly smaller than the corner they'd adopted in the school library.

They sat down, side-by-side and slightly squished, leaning up against the cool whitewashed walls. Tory set his textbook in his lap and flipped to the appropriate page. They were to compare both the difference between light and sound waves and how each one can be created and perceived.

First things first, Tory thought, we're going to have to read this chapter and take notes. After that, we can buckle down and start looking for more information in the library.

Tory whipped out his folder and handed Colin a sheet of notebook paper and a pen.

He briefly smiled his thanks before grabbing a book off the nearby shelf to write on.

They both turned their eyes to the book resting on Tory's lap.

The chapter was ridiculously tedious and long, fifteen pages, and an hour later they still hadn't finished.

Tory yawned for about the ninth time in the past twenty minutes as he scribbled something about wavelengths into his notes.

"You know Tory," Colin said without lifting his eyes from the page, "This isn't a group project. I know I asked you to help me, but it's kind of like we're working on one project." Tory studied the profile of Colin's flawless face.

"Not to say I mind working," Colin paused and turned his face towards Tory's, their faces mere inches as a result of the close sitting quarters, "so closely with you." Tory's cheeks burned as he saw a touch of pink even grace Colin's face.

Suddenly, Colin looked away.

"But I don't want you to fail because I needed help."

Tory cocked his head.

"I'm not going to fail because of you! And so what anyway? I don't really care if I fail this project. I hate physics." Tory gave Colin a reassuring smirk, hoping Colin would catch on to the implications of what he'd just said.

I just want to be with you, Tory's mind spoke to Colin. Whatever the consequences.

Colin flashed a grateful, yet coy smile at Tory.

"Okay, but if you fail, I'm blaming myself." Tory chuckled, affection surging within him.

"Deal."

The hours passed and the two boys got all but one part of their project done. They needed to create a poster to use during their presentation.

Tory eyed the round clock hanging on the far wall. It was twenty to five.

We have to leave now if we want to make it home on time, Tory thought with an edge of frustration.

They were so close to finishing!

Tory glanced down a nearby isle, then behind him and to the right.

Crap. Where did Colin go?

He backtracked to their hidden corner behind the bookshelf.

Nothing.

He noted that Colin's notes were still there.

Well, Tory thought wryly, at least he didn't leave.

Heading towards the central sitting area, he glanced around.

Nope.

Next he went over to the computers.

Nothing.

What the heck?? Tory thought, starting to get a little frantic. We're going to be late!

Colin said he was going to go research the travel of light waves through spa—A hand latched onto his, gently pulling him into an isle.

He came face to face with a pair of familiar, deep eyes.

"Were you looking for me?" Blushing and feeling quite flustered, Tory merely nodded.

"We need to get going, huh?" Colin asked casually, still holding Tory's hand.

"Yeah, if we don't hurry, we're going to be late." Colin nodded and let go of Tory's hand as they made their way back to the corner.

Gathering their piles of printed articles and photocopied book pages, they headed out the door.

The walk home was a little more talkative but during the few silences that did occur, Tory's mind was calm.

---

I hope you all liked it. Come back a little later for the next installment. Thanks for sticking with me! It really means a lot. :heart:


	5. Chapter Five: The Completion

Hey everyone!!

:hugs you all: I'm really sorry I haven't gotten a chapter up lately! Life has been unusually busy. :x

**Please note:** In this chapter, I created a den at the back of Tory's house. The den is necessary. :0

Okay, on with the show!

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Chapter Five: The Completion

They busted through the front door at ten after five, the delicious scent of turkey heavy in the air.

"Sorry we're a little late mom!" Tory called into the apartment as he hung his coat on a wooden peg. They kicked off their shoes.

"Oh that's all right honey," Mary's warm voice reassured from the kitchen. "Do you think you could set the table? Dinner's just about ready."

"Sure mom." Tory smiled at Colin and gestured for him to follow.

"How'd the project go?"

"Really well! We got most of it done," Tory said happily.

"Oh that's great, sweetie."

As they walked into the kitchen the hearty smells grew in strength, making Tory's stomach growl impatiently. He blushed a little as Colin flashed him an amused smirk.

Opening the cabinet above the microwave, Tory pulled out four fine white dishes.

"Why isn't Paul here yet?" Tory asked.

"Oh, yes. I nearly forgot! We only need three places tonight. Paul called while you boys were out and said that his girlfriend's family invited him to dinner a few hours ago. He said he's sorry to disappoint you."

Tory's mind reeled.

Awesome! He thought excitedly. Now I don't have to worry about Paul ruining my plans!

Colin raised an eyebrow at Tory's obvious glee. Tory quickly turned away to hide his grin.

"Someone called for you, as well, Colin. A fellow by the name of Dr. Garrets?" A surge of alarm squelched the mirth.

"He wanted you to call him back as soon as possible. It seemed urgent." Tory tossed a worried glance towards Colin who stood rigidly beside him.

Carefully taking Colin's wrist and mumbling a "thanks" to his mom, Tory led him into the den at the back of the apartment. Colin meandered behind him.

Tory picked up the black portable phone and handed it to him. Colin took it wordlessly and stared at it for a few seconds.

"Do you want me to leave?" Tory asked gently. Colin turned his back to Tory and walked a few feet towards one of the windows facing the park.

"No," Colin murmured as he dialed his number.

Tory wanted to be closer to Colin, but kept himself at a healthy distance, not wanting to intrude.

Colin held the phone to his ear and waited.

"You called?" Colin said blatantly, his voice hard.

_(Leave that boy's house immediately and come home.)_

"No," Colin hissed. Tory silently wished he could hear what Dr. Garrets was saying.

_(You come home right now or so help me, I will come over there and drag you out myself!)_

"I'd like to see you try." Colin's voice was low and his words were thick with ice.

There seemed to be a pause on the other end.

_(Well fine. Then don't expect to come home tonight.)_

Another pause.

_(What do you have to celebrate anyway? You have nothing.)_

The line went dead.

Colin clicked off the receiver and stood in place for a few long moments.

"..Colin?" Without moving, Colin began to explain, his voice much less harsh.

"Dr. Garrets told me not to come home tonight. Because I won't come home right now, he's locking me out."

Tory felt something inside him drop.

"I'm sorry. This is my fault you're in so much trouble."

Colin turned around and moved until he was face-to-face with Tory.

"Are you saying you regret inviting me?" Colin's expression held a twinge of playfulness, as if trying to move off the subject off of Dr. Garrets.

"N-no! Of course not!"

Colin reached out and absent-mindedly brushed a few rogue strands of hair out of Tory's eyes, causing Tory to blush profusely.

"Good," walking past the red-head, Colin put the phone on the hook and walked towards the door. "Let's go then."

Tory grabbed Colin's hand. "Wait."

Colin stared at him curiously.

"You can stay here for the night," Tory's cheeks were singed with pink. "I mean, you don't have anywhere else right? And I do have a bunk bed."

Colin's face remained blank and Tory let go of Colin's hand.

Maybe it was wrong of me to offer? Tory thought shamefully.

"I don't want to be a burden," Colin murmured.

"No! Not at all!" Colin's eyes flickered hesitantly as he stared down the hall.

"Well, what about your mom? Won't she mind?" Tory leaned into the hallway.

"Mom! Can Colin sleep over? Please?"

"That's fine as long as his parents don't mind," came the response. Colin looked wearily at Tory.

"Why are you doing all this for me?" The question, and Colin's shielded expression, caught Tory off guard.

Tory blushed deeply.

"I- I don't know. I... I guess it's because—"

"Kids! Dinner is ready! Come on while it's still hot!" Mary called cheerfully down the hall.

Tory turned back to Colin, not sure what to say.

After a moment, Colin nodded and fixed Tory with a distant, yet tender stare.

"All right then. I'll stay."

Tory watched discreetly as Colin helped himself to one last dollop of mashed potatoes.

His mom had already finished and was sitting back in her chair with a satisfied smile.

"We always make a great team when it comes to feasts, huh Tory?" Mary chuckled as her son nodded with a smile.

Tory scooped the last bit of butternut squash from his plate into his mouth before laying his fork down for good.

He was so full he thought his stomach lining would burst. But it sure was good.

Overall, the dinner had gone really well. Colin answered any questions my mom politely tossed at him and even looked like he was enjoying himself. Colin tried just about everything offered to him and ate much more than he had the first night he'd come over. A comfortable silence drifted over the table.

During the course of the meal, Tory became acutely aware of how content he was. He almost felt.. like he was complete. Like for the first time in his life, he was experiencing what it meant to be incandescently happy.

A warm rush of giddiness bubbled within him as he remembered that Colin was spending the night.

His mom stood from the table, breaking his train of thought, and collected various empty dishes into her hands.

"Well thank you for joining me, boys. I hope you all enjoyed!" She radiated satisfaction. "And I'll clean up, so don't worry," she added as she saw Colin and Tory picking up their plates.

Ignoring her comment, they brought them over the sink.

"It's no trouble mom." She giggled cheerfully in response.

"Well thank you."

The two friends wandered into the living room.

"So what do you want to do?" Colin asked casually. Tory shrugged, thinking back to his original plans.

"How about a movie?" Colin nodded, a small smile crossing his lips.

"Okay. Did you have anything in mind?" Tory shook his head.

"Nah, not really. Come on," He gestured for Colin to follow and headed for his room. "All our movies are in my room."

They meandered down the hall, one after the other, to the door at the end of the hall. Opening it, he switched on the light.

"Well, here we are."

Colin smiled at Tory, an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"You act like I've never been in your room before." Tory laughed, somewhat nervously, as he walked to the other side of his room.

"Yeah, well.." he trailed off, crouching in front of the large rack of dvds.

"What kind of movies do you like? I have just about everything: horror, comedy, suspense, action, romance.." Tory glanced over his shoulder, only to see Colin focusing on something on his bed.

What is he looking at..? Tory thought cautiously. He tensed. Oh crud! Please tell me that's not my journal..! He quickly stood and rushed to the book lying open on his bed. Shit!

He scooped it up and looked bashfully at Colin, his face ablaze.

"Sorry about that," Tory muttered. Colin smiled shyly.

"Do you always plan out your days like that?" Colin looked at him with a gentle curiosity, although already knowing the answer.

"Ehh, well, sometimes.." Colin seemed to consider for a moment.

"What do you have for suspense?" Colin asked smoothly. Tory sputtered.

Why does he always have to change the subject like that? Tory thought, feeling a little dazed. Mentally pulling himself together, he started to list off his suspense movies. He only had four after all.

"Hmm," Colin squatted in front of the dvds. "I heard 'Mind Shaft' was good." He turned to Tory for an opinion.

"Yeah, that's the best suspense movie I have. It's actually one of my favorite movies in general." Colin slid the dvd from its snug place on the small shelf and stood.

He handed it to Tory, their fingers brushing momentarily. For a brief second, Tory marveled at the softness of Colin's hands. Their eyes locked just long enough to ignite a spark.

Colin turned and proceeded to the door.

"Coming?"

--

Chapter five? Done. Yosh! Only one or two chapters left. Probably two. I gotta get back on the ball and start writing again. DX I won't make you wait as long as this chapter again. Thank you for sticking with me! I love you all. ;.; :heart:


	6. Chapter Six: The Acceptance

I know

I know. I know. Took me long enough. But don't worry. The entire fic has been finished and will be uploaded entirely. :)

Thank you so much, everyone, for sticking with me and reading my story to the end.

I really did enjoy writing it.

Anyway, on with the show! ;D

--

Chapter Six: The Acceptance

Leading the way, Colin proceeded down the short hallway towards the living room, Tory ambling in tow.

Muffled voices and cheery jingles could be heard as they approached the tv room. Tory's heart sank. His mom had to have been watching tv. And even worse, it sounded like it was one of her favorite shows.

'Damn!' Tory thought with an explosion of frustration. His hand tightened longing around the dvd in his hand . He had to figure out a way to usher her out so he and Colin could have the television. As if he wasn't nervous enough.

Colin stepped into the occupied room and glanced at Tory, his gray eyes brooding. He met his eyes wryly and gathered his thoughts to approach his mom.

He sucked in a breath and opened his mouth to spew a handful of unprepared persuasions when Mary seemed to notice their presence.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. The words died on Tory's lips and he clicked his mouth shut. "Oh sorry honey. Did you two want the tv?" Without waiting for a response, she got up and smiled at him.

"Uhh well, yeah I guess," Tory stammered. "But it's okay if you're watching your show or something."

She smiled and pawed the air at him.

"Don't be silly, Tory. I'll just watch it in my room," she began to yawn, placing a delicate hand over her mouth. "I have an early meeting tomorrow anyway. I should probably get to bed."

Tory threw a glance at the clock in the adjacent kitchen with a raised eyebrow.

"It's only 7:45 mom."

She shrugged and smiled at him, a faint glimmer of mischief and knowledge winking in her eyes.

"It's been a long day. After all that cooking I just want to lie down and relax for the night. I'll just leave you boys to watch your movie." Mary stretched a little and approached the boys. "I will see you two after I get home from my meeting," she ruffled Tory's mop of auburn hair and then lightly touched Colin's shoulder. A motherly aura seemed to surround her as she spoke, the twinkle of knowledge appearing once more, "You stay as long as you like Colin. Good night!"

And with that, she proceeded down the small corridor to her room at the far end.

"Well that went well," Colin said, his rich voice laced with amusement. Tory offered him a weary smile.

"Yeah I guess so." Tory felt heat rise to his cheeks for no rational reason, except that they were alone again. And Colin had his stormy blue eyes fixed on him.

He fidgeted slightly, trying to compose himself.

"I'll set this up," he said with a small wave of the dvd. He fiddled with the machine, flipping the tv to the "video" setting and popping in the dvd onto the outstretched tray. "So did you want any kind of snack for the movie?" Tory asked absent-mindedly.

There was a pause and Tory looked up at Colin. A small smirk played across his face.

"We just ate a huge Thanksgiving dinner." Tory blinked and blushed, at a loss for an immediate response. He looked away feeling flustered and stood up, the dvd menu droning to life with dramatic music and sound effects.

Tory's blush deepened as Colin silently padded his way beside him, barely a foot away. He caught Tory's shy gaze with his and smiled. Tory's heart fluttered like a bird.

"But if you want something then sure." Tory's body relaxed a little, though his heart remained excited.

"Well we do have some cheesecake in the fridge," Tory offered with a smile of his own. Colin nodded approvingly.

With a sudden rush of courage, Tory reached out and took Colin's hand in his, dragging them towards the kitchen. Tory thought he felt Colin's hand begin to curl around his when he pulled away. He immediately wished he had held on longer but it was too late now.

The realization of his actions hit him like a brick and his heart began to pound. Did he just hold Colin's hand? Granted it was more of a leading gesture than anything intimate.

Tory gritted his teeth, too afraid to look at Colin. Mostly because he didn't want to see Colin's reaction but also to hide the tremendous blush that was scorching across his cheeks.

He fumbled into the fridge, pulling out the circular tray of cheesecake and some milk. Still keeping his back to his raven-haired friend, Tory grabbed a plate out of the cupboard and hesitated. The heat on his cheeks had mostly faded by now so he chanced a look at Colin.

"You want some too?" Colin regarded him quietly, deep gray eyes calculating and pleasant, before politely declining. Tory gulped, not quite sure what to make of his friend and plated some cake for himself. After pouring a small glass of milk and putting everything away, the freckled teen tossed his head towards the couch.

Colin sat down first, Tory close at hand after flicking the light off and setting his milk on the mahogany wooden table.

Their legs brushed and settled against one another. Tory quickly glanced at Colin to see if he reacted or seemed uncomfortable. He was picking a loose string off of his black tee shirt, totally lost in his own thoughts.

The lanky teen fixed him with a curious stare and Tory looked away, being as smooth as he could. Colin grabbed the remote and started the movie as Tory started to munch on the rich slice of cheesecake.

Within a few minutes, Tory caught a pair of eyes ogling the last of his dessert. He couldn't keep a smile from touching his lips as he asked, "Did you want a bite or something?"

Colin shrugged, his face flushing ever so slightly.

"Kinda. If you could spare it?" Colin's face softened and the light from the tv cast delicate, flickering shadows over his pale face. A jolt of longing shot through Tory as he gazed upon his friend.

"Y-yeah," Tory forced himself back into reality. "Sure. Lemme get another fork." Tory shifted the cake aside and began to force him up when he heard Colin's quiet reply.

"What about your fork?" Tory sank back down into the plush black couch out of nothing more than pure shock. Colin shrugged. "Your mom just did all that cleaning up. Why bother making more of a mess for her in the morning?"

Hope lit Colin's dark eyes like fireflies over a placid lake.

Tory found his mouth hanging open slightly and he snapped it shut, handing over the remainder of the cake and his fork.

"Yeah, ok," Tory murmured. Colin smiled a small thanks, took the dessert and casually turned back to the movie like sharing forks was something he did every day.

Tory watched for a dazed moment as Colin finished off the last of the cake in two languid bites. He tore his dazzled green eyes away from his friend and towards the movie, though his mind was completely elsewhere.

From deep within his soul, a burst of hope gushed forth. Could it be that Colin felt the same way? I mean, normal friends don't just share forks. Not guys at least, Tory thought.

So what else could this be?

Tory peeked at Colin out of the corner of his eye. He was fixated on the dramatic escape scene in the movie.

His heart fluttered as he felt the dull warmth of Colin's leg pressed lightly against his.

Yearning filled him. This night, these days and weeks he had spent getting to know Colin felt so right to Tory. In what seemed like such a short amount of time, this lean, hauntingly attractive person gave color to his life. A new meaning, a new purpose, began to take shape within Tory's heart.

Gay or not, this is who he was meant to be.

This was where he _wanted_ to be. Here, with Colin by his side.

A sudden clarity blossomed throughout him, and with it, an overwhelming sense of calm.

Tory's eyes began to focus on the movie, the beginning of the final action scene flashing and clanking in a furious duel. He felt his entire body relax and sink into the couch, inadvertently pressing further against the teen beside him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Colin blink down at him.

And to Tory's amazement, he felt his friend slouch almost imperceptibly against him in response.

Tory's heart soared as bliss rocketed through him.

The rest of the movie played out into the credits, but Tory hardly noticed.

--

Hope you liked it!

The next chapter will be everything you're hoping it will be, I promise. ;D

Please review!


	7. Chapter Seven: The Beginning

Alright kiddies

Alright kiddies! Prepare to read the final chapter!! :O

I hope you all enjoy it!!

--

Chapter Seven: The Beginning

Colin stretched his arms above his hand, his eyes squeezing shut as the ending credits rolled down the screen.

Tory scooped up the remote and hit "Stop", while tossing a glance at the clock in the kitchen.

9:58pm. Not bad.

He reluctantly got up from the plush couch, already missing Colin's warmth.

The ruddy-haired boy stifled a yawn as he flicked off the television, the room suddenly becoming rather dark with the exception of the dim light over the stove in the adjacent room.

Tory cursed under his breath and fumbled with the floor lamp by the couch. He thought he heard Colin swallow an amused chuckle behind him. Flustered, Tory finally managed to find the switch underneath the shade and dull light filled the room.

Tory straightened and tossed a weary glance at his amused friend before making his way down the hall to his room. Colin followed, his cat-like grace silencing his movements.

Tory pushed open his door and made a beeline for his dresser.

"So I guess you need something to sleep in huh?" Tory tossed some rogue locks out of his face as he rummaged through his top drawer.

"Yeah, that might be nice," Colin replied, his cool voice devoid of sarcasm.

Amidst the heap of poorly folded clothes, Tory's eyes locked onto a pair of flannel blue and black plaid pajama pants. A smile touched his lips as he seized them, along with a tee shirt the exact shade of Colin's eyes.

"These good?" Tory held them up for Colin to examine. He shrugged and nodded, gratitude softening his features. A shiver bolted down Tory's spine as those tender eyes remained fixed on him. A tiny flame of hope sparked to life deep within his heart.

Tory tossed the clothes to Colin who caught them with ease.

"Sure, no problem," Tory said shyly. "You can change in bathroom. It's right across the hall. Oh and there's a spare toothbrush in the top drawer. The toothpaste should be out too. I'll change in here so if my door is closed then just give me a minute." Colin smiled his thanks, once again sending a shudder raking through Tory's body, and left for the bathroom.

Tory slipped the door shut and rested his back against it, his eyes slipping shut.

'God. It's like the more I look for them, the more little signs I see that maybe… maybe Colin feels the same way I do.' A full body shiver shook him as he thought of being more than just a friend to Colin, an intense desire flaring to life. Tory grimaced, reality quickly squelching the surge of hope, and opened his eyes a fraction. 'Then again, I guess it could all be in my imagination. It's not like he's done anything crazy weird or obvious. Well, except for the fork thing. But who knows? Maybe that's just how they do things at his house.' A long low sigh escaped from his lips. 'I don't want to jump to conclusions. I don't want to ruin what I have with him.' His mouth settled into a frown, his shoulders slumping as he came to his conclusion. 'Even if that means we can only be friends.'

After a brief moment more, he dragged himself away from the door and pulled on a pair of solid gray pajama bottoms and a maroon tee shirt.

There was a quiet knock on the door as Tory shoveled his dirty clothes into the hamper.

"Come in," Tory called mildly.

The latch clicked and Colin slipped in. Tory's heart did a summersault in his throat as he gazed upon the adorable sight of Colin clad in his clothes. His shirt fit Colin very well and showed off his lean figure with just the right amount of laxity. The pants were a little baggy but somehow added to the charm of the look. Before Tory could suppress it, a grin splayed across his face.

"Do they fit okay?" To Tory's amusement, a tinge of pink touched Colin's cheeks and he shrugged.

"They fit fine," as an after thought Colin added, "Thanks."

"Good, I'm glad," Tory paused and glanced at his bunk bed. He flicked his head in that direction and asked, "Would the top bunk be okay with you? I don't mind taking it if you'd rather have the bottom though." Colin looked up at the top bunk and shook his head indifferently.

"I don't mind the top bunk at all." Tory smiled and nodded.

"Well just make yourself at home then. I'm going to go brush my teeth. I'll be back in a minute or two."

Tory had a hard time taking his eyes off of Colin as he exited the room. Tory knew he'd cherish those clothes until the day he died. Colin was actually going to sleep in them and everything!

Tory knew he must be in Paradise as the flame of hope swelled a fraction larger.

He entered the bathroom and noticed the toothbrush Colin must have used sitting in the cup with his toothbrush. His heart fluttered. It felt so good to have someone in his life. Tory's eyes dimmed. Even if it is one-sided.

An involuntary sigh pressed from his lips once more before he shoved the toothpaste-laden brush into his mouth.

But oh well. It was worth it to have Colin as part of his life. It was worth all of these feelings to go unrequited if only to have this one night with Colin solidified eternally within his memories.

Tory made a mental note to record all of the details of this night at the earliest opportune moment. He didn't want to forget a single thing.

Finishing up, he swished and spit into the sink, wiping his mouth on a nearby hand towel.

Before leaving, he ran a hand through his red unruly locks, doing his best to make himself look decent.

Switching off the light, he padded his way back to his room, swinging the door shut behind him.

Colin was sitting cross-legged on the top bunk, looking down at something in his lap.

Tory cocked his head in curiosity.

"Hey, what's up?" Tory asked, approaching the bunk bed.

Colin met Tory's eyes and held up a yellow notebook.

"You have some notebooks up here," he paused and a twinkle of mischief twitched his mouth up in a smirk. "Don't worry, none of them were open."

Tory flushed and skittered up the ladder to sit beside Colin, bringing his legs into an Indian style. Colin closed the thin yellow notebook and handed Tory a small stack of colorful, flimsy notebooks.

As Tory took them from Colin, he realized just how close Colin was to him. There had to have been less than three feet of vertical space between the mattress and the ceiling. Their legs were pressed up against one another, warmth seeping from one body to the other.

Both teens were sitting slightly hunched and _very_ close together.

Tory gulped and brought his attention back to the journals.

"Oh! These are my old journals from elementary school. My mom probably threw them up here when she was vacuuming my room last week," Tory flipped one of the books open, his eyes shimmering fondly as he examined the contents.

Colin gave him a quizzical look. "What kind of journaling could you do in elementary school?"

"They were these little mandatory booklet assignments you had to do everyday before class started. It's actually where a lot of my passion for writing came from," Tory gestured to a page sporting a messy crayon drawing of a fire truck. "You had to write a few sentences about some topic, like what you wanted to be when you grew up, and then draw a picture here," he pointed to the truck.

A genuine smile caressed Colin's mouth. Tory swallowed hard to keep from staring at his lips.

"You wanted to be a fireman when you grew up?"

Tory chuckled, somewhat embarrassed.

"Yeah well, it seemed cool at the time."

"That's cute," Colin laughed, a smooth pleasant sound.

A fierce blush flared up to set his cheeks ablaze. Bliss whirled up from his heart and flooded his body.

Tory laughed timidly and glanced up at Colin.

"T-thanks," Tory murmured. All at one, Tory realized how very close Colin's face was to his. How endless his deep stormy eyes were. Eyes focused entirely on him.

Tory's hands began to chill, butterflies the size of dragons suddenly raging around in his stomach. And yet Tory couldn't pull his eyes away. He wanted to lose himself in those fathomless eyes.

Tory could swear Colin's face was approaching almost intangibly closer. The mere thought both excited and terrified him. His heart was beating so fast, he thought it might give out at any second.

Colin's lips were mere inches away from his and seemingly getting closer with each passing moment. How could this be? Was his mind just playing tricks on him?

Tory realized with a sudden burst of urgency that he wanted to kiss Colin. His fingers tingled as he held himself back. He knew he wanted this more than anything in the world, but what would Colin think? Tory couldn't bear the thought of losing his friendship. A pang of sadness wrenched his heart stings and just as Tory was about to look away, all time stopped.

The scant few inches between their faces closed as Colin's warm, silky lips pressed gently against his. The kiss lasted for less than a few seconds but to Tory, it might as well have been an eternity. In those few seconds, Tory picked up on the faint, musty scent of crisp fallen leaves and a cool winter breeze. Colin smelled of autumn. And Tory loved it.

The kiss broke just as quickly as it came. Tory didn't even have a chance to respond.

Tory's head swam with bliss. His soul soared as he realized Colin felt the same way. He had kissed him! He had actually kissed him. Tory felt like he was going to faint. He had never been so happy in his entire life.

Colin shifted beside him, pulling back the blankets and adjusting the pillows. He had his back to Tory.

Sensing something was wrong, he opened his mouth to ask what was wrong.

"Thanks for showing me your journals. I'm getting kind of tired. Is it okay if I get to sleep?" Colin's tone was neutral. He avoided eye contact. All of the happiness in Tory ebbed away, confusion laying in its wake.

"Oh, uh y-yeah. Sure," Tory said, his voice laced with concern. He grabbed the notebooks and tossed them to the floor near his closet. His heart ached as he climbed down the ladder to get into his bed.

Shaking a bit, he slipped underneath the cool comforter. His throat constricted and tears pricked the corners of his eyes. What just happened?

'I feel like I've lost his friendship when I didn't even do anything. He's the one who kissed me!' A silent tear of frustration and pain rolled down the side of his temple.

He fought back the urge to cry and wiped away the rest of the unshed tears with a corner of his blanket. He forced himself to take steady, quiet breaths to clear his face and thoughts.

Tory wanted nothing more than to fly up those steps and take Colin into his arms. What the heck happened? Did he do something to offend Colin?

Why would Colin bother kissing him if he didn't mean anything by it?

Or maybe Colin regretted kissing him.

Tory's heart broke at that thought.

He wanted to talk to Colin. To straighten everything out with him.

None of this made any sense.

Tory's eyes were locked onto the underside of Colin's bunk.

There had to be a reason and Tory had to know.

With his heart pounding furiously in his chest, he gathered his courage.

"Colin..?" Tory asked feebly. "You awake?" he asked, this time a little stronger.

Half a minute passed without a response. Tory's heart sank as each second seemed to grow longer than the last.

"Yeah?" asked Colin's soft, clear voice.

Tory bit his bottom lip lightly, organizing his thoughts and fighting to keep his voice steady.

"…What did that _mean_?" The question came out more desperate and broken than he would have liked.

There were several moments of agonizing silence.

Then to Tory's relief and horror, Colin shifted and began to climb down the ladder. Tory sat up, dabbing at his eyes again to soak up any excess moisture.

Colin hoisted himself onto Tory's bed, sitting only about a foot away.

They both sat there for a long few moments, adjusting to one another's shadow-clad forms. Neither wanted to break the silence.

Wordlessly, Colin reached out with a soft pale hand and delicately dragged his fingertips down Tory's cheek. Tory's bottom lip trembled at his touch, turning his face into Colin's hand.

"I guess it means that I like you." Colin spoke tenderly, his voice barely above a whisper, and withdrew his hand from Tory's cheek.

Tory's watery eyes widened, his weary heart once again exploding with unparalleled joy. He couldn't keep a smile from spreading across his lips.

"I like you too Colin." Obvious relief washed over Colin's features, happiness lighting up his eyes.

Tory's bright green eyes dimmed and a sliver of sadness seeped into his features as he gazed at his friend.

"So then why did you dismiss me like that after you…?" he trailed off, a wrenching pain suppressing his elation.

The mirth faded from Colin's face. Shame and regret swirled within those dark gray depths.

"I guess a part of me was… concerned that you felt differently. I'm sorry. I couldn't stop myself," Colin's mouth was pulled into a deep frown. Realization dawned on Tory. Colin had been afraid he would reject him. Something like relief crashed through Tory and he nodded empathetically at Colin.

"I understand," Colin's features relaxed and he nodded in gratitude.

"I.. I really like you Colin," Tory continued. His friend's shadow-framed face brightened back into a small smile. "But I was too afraid to act on my feelings for you. I didn't know if you felt the same way," Tory paused, happiness washing over him. "I was _so _happy when you… did that." Tory concluded with a shy smile, a rosy blush staining his freckled cheeks.

Colin smiled at him then, his eyes smoldering and surging with euphoria.

Tory shuddered at the intense gaze, need blossoming within him.

"Can we…?" Tory murmured, his emerald eyes wrought with subdued desire.

A huge smirk blazed across Colin's mouth as he wordlessly closed the distance between them.

END

--

Okay! It's done. :D

I do, however, have an epilogue for you guys as an extra bonus.

Thank you for reading and please review!


	8. Epilogue: The Perfection

Originally, I wasn't planning on doing an epilogue

Originally, I wasn't planning on doing an epilogue. But then I figured, hey why not?

So here you all go!

Thank you! And enjoy.

--

Epilogue: The Perfection

Tory awoke the next morning feeling utterly contented.

He could tell from the crisp dim light peeking from between his drawn window shades that it was still early. His bleary eyes focused on the red digital numbers on his bedside table. It shone 8:16am.

Tory's heart flipped excitedly as he remembered his night with Colin.

After confessing their feelings to one another and indulging in their second kiss, they stayed up for half the night talking. Well, talking and kissing.

Tory learned more about Colin than he ever thought he would, even thought the red-haired teen did the majority of the talking. He didn't learn anything about the Gaia Project but Tory didn't care. Truth be told, he didn't even think to ask at the time.

He figured that if Colin wanted to tell him, then in time he would.

For now, Tory was just happy to have Colin as an ever-growing part of his life.

Tory rolled his head to gaze fondly upon the lean, sleeping teen beside him. Strands of strawberry red hair fell over Tory's eyes as he admired the still form. He blew a sharp breath straight up to scatter the wavy locks out of his vision.

His heart swooned as he studied his friend's smooth, peaceful face, the urge to kiss him surfacing once again.

Colin lay on his side, facing Tory. He was only a few inches away from were Tory lay.

The sky blue comforter that they shared was draped over Colin's lower half, his head buried in the pillow he brought down from the top bunk late last night. His dark eyelashes caressed his cheeks in a stark contrast from his pale face.

Tory's heart sped up as his path of vision honed in on Colin's flawless hand lying palm down on the bed a mere four inches from him.

Without hesitation, Tory reached out and carefully laid his warm hand over Colin's. The dark-haired boy stirred and his eyes slowly opened. Blinking the sleep from his vision and thoughts, he focused them on Tory's freckled face.

A smile curved the corner of his mouth up.

"Hey," Tory murmured affectionately, propping his head up on his hand.

"Hey," he replied groggily. Colin squeezed his eyes shut and stretched for a long moment before relaxing and smiling at up Tory.

A feeling of serenity and peace filled Tory's soul as he gazed down at his friend. Once again, Tory felt a burning completion by Colin's side. He knew from the very depths of his soul, that this was where he belonged. This was where he wanted to be for the rest of his life.

"I was thinking," Tory began, his eyes sparkling as Colin's hand wrapped around his. "Do you want to go out to eat for breakfast at Nonnys around the corner? It's only like a five-minute walk. I'll pay! And maybe after we can go take a walk in the park?"

Colin's ashen eyes mirrored Tory's excitement but he spoke with a faux disapproving frown on his face.

"We should probably finish the physics project and start on some of the others today. School should be our main priority, Tory," Colin couldn't keep the playful smile from tugging at his lips as he spoke.

A fierce grin tore across Tory's face and he swooped down to place his lips a fraction of a hair above Colin's. The unsuspecting teen sucked in a tiny, excited gasp.

"Screw the project." Tory whispered, emotion thickening his voice as he pressed his lips passionately, lovingly to Colin's smiling lips.

--

Thank you for everyone who has stuck with me and waited so patiently for me to get all of these chapters out. I hope you all enjoyed it! I know I did. 3

Please review, my wonderful readers!


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